4 years on, no progress yet in Kibria killing case
Julfikar Ali Manik
Probes into the assassination of former finance minister SAMS Kibria symbolise the bankruptcy of law-enforcement agencies, as the latest finds completely contradict the previous investigation report.
During the last BNP-led alliance rule, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 10 BNP men including a top leader of Habiganj district unit.
But its latest probe prompted by a series of complaints from Kibria family and the complainant unearths a link of banned Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami with the assassination.
CID Special Superintendent of Police (SSP) Md Nisharul Arif, who is supervising the investigation, told The Daily Star: “I’m convinced from the findings that Huji is responsible and we’re about to press charges against Mufti Hannan and eight of his men.
“We haven’t found any links between the killing and the 10 men accused in the previous chargesheet.”
Arif however declined to comment when asked if the previous probe findings were completely inaccurate.
The fundamentally contradictory findings have left the Kibria family and the complainant baffled about which police findings are true.
“We can’t really say whether Huji or the 10 previously accused killed my husband. But we have to find out the masterminds behind the assassination,” said Asma Kibria.
“The way the then ruling BNP tried to cover it up suggests some of its influential leaders had been involved in the killing,” she added.
She said instead of finding the real perpetrators, “BNP tried to misguide the investigation and save the masterminds.”
“Even if I should believe the Huji men were involved, I’d say they might have played a mere assassin’s role. What’s most important is finding out who ordered the assassination,” she said, citing the recent findings.
Asma said she has heard many people in Sylhet speaking of Harris Chowdhury’s involvement in the murder. So he should be hunted down and interrogated.
She also wants investigators to look into the then Habiganj deputy commissioner Emdadul Haq’s “dubious” role on the day of assassination on January 27, 2005.
But the aggrieved widow of Kibria and complainant of the case, Abdul Majid Khan, the newly elected Awami League (AL) MP from Habiganj, are hopeful the new AL-led government will properly probe the case and bring the real masterminds to justice.
“I hope the new government will find out the masterminds behind the killing, and we would get justice as the party he (Kibria) belonged to is in power now,” said Asma.
Kibria was killed in a grenade attack at a rally in Baidder Bazar in Habiganj. He was the serving MP from that constituency then.
Asma said she would approach Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding the case, while Majid said he would try to meet Home Minister Sahara Khatun.
Meanwhile, former Habiganj BNP vice-president Abdul Quaiyum, the main accused in the previous CID-investigated chargesheet, yesterday told The Daily Star he should be removed from the list of accused because “I was a victim of conspiracy.”
Quaiyum was imprisoned along with seven others in the case but was released on bail last year.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
